Attachment for frame straightening machines



April 1956 LE ROY v. JACOBSEN 2,742,945

ATTACHMENT FOR FRAME STRAIGHTENING MACHINES 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Jan.18, 1952 INVENTOR. LEROY V. JACOBSE/V BY ATTORNEY A ril 24, 1956 LE ROYv. JACOBSEN 2,742,945

ATTACHMEN FOR FRAME STRAIGHTENING MACHINES Filed Jan. 18, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 L 5 3? 30 K .L l l 0 t I 1 26 I I I z 25 2 4 2/- j /A/: IZ Q 4 1 i K 30 Q l B:-

IN V EN TOR. A B L LEROY v. JACOBSEN ATTORNEY 2,742,945 I v ATTACHNIENTFOR FRAME STRAIGHTENING MACHINES Le Roy V. Jacobsen, Durant, Iowa,assignor to Bee-Line Company, Davenport, Iowa, a copartnershipApplication January 18, 1952, Serial No. 267,171

Claims; (Cl. 15332) This invention relates to the motor vehicle art andmore particularly to mechanism for straightening motor vehicle frames.It is well known that, for various reasons, the frames of motor vehiclesbecome misshapen and need to be put back into correct form. Preferablythis can be done by pulling one part of the frame with relation toanother part. It is desirable to be able to pull or push one member ofthe frame with relation to another, and it is in connection with thisproblem that I am now dealing.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof,

Fig. 1 shows a broken plan view of one arrangement of my apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of this apparatus, taken from a differentposition;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus of this 1 United StatesPatent "0 invention with the parts arranged for pulling or pushinglongitudinally of the frame;

Fig. 5 shows an attachment for adapting this invention to cars havingthe wider frames;

Fig. 6 shows in plan view the structure shown in Fig. '5;

Fig. 7 shows a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 4 but with a partrotated ninety degrees (90), this sectional elevation beingapproximately on the plane indicated by the line 7-7 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 shows various directions in which pushing and pulling may be donewith the present apparatus and illustrates the universality thereof.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings fora more complete description of this invention. This frame straighteningmechanism includes a pair of longitudinal beams, after the order of thebeams 16 of Smith Patent No. 1,993,387, except that they are rectangularin cross-section, instead of circular as in the above mentioned-Smithpatent. These frame beams are designated by the reference numeral 1, andthe mechanism of this invention is held to the beams by U-shaped clips2. These clips are tightened by wedges 3 and held in place thereby. Someof these clips may be provided with ears 4 and, if desired, the ears maybe omitted, although they are preferred.

Each clip 2 has a circular hole 5 in the top thereof for the receptionof a rotatable post 6 which is rotatable in the clip 2 by reason of thefact that the post 6 has a circular shoulder 7, and the square sectionof the post 6 is provided with a hole for the reception of a pin 8 whichholds the post assembled with a box 9. When the wedge 3 is driven intightly, the clip 2 is tightened against the head or enlargement 10,which prevents turning thereof. The box 9 is preferably welded tosliders 11 which slidably receive bars 12 and 12a, which may be pulledor pushed in either direction longitudinally. At an end of each bar 12or 12a there is a box 13 or 13a for reception of an abutment, either 14or 14a, which is to engage automobile frame members.

A jack 15 is placed between the bars 12 and 12a and,

when operated, it pulls or pushes, depending upon the specificarrangement. When the arrangement is as shown in Fig. 1, with blocks 16and 17 connected, respectively, to the bars 12 and 12a, the abutments 14and 14a will be pulled inwardly, whereas, when the arrangement is asshown in Fig. 2, the abutments will be pushed out. The block 16 isprovided with pairs of holes 18 and 19 for the reception of a pin 20 tosecure the block 16 to the bar 12 or 12a by a pin 20.

A bridge 21 connects the sliders 17 to which it is welded. This bridge21 serves as an abutment for the jack 15, and the pin 20 connects thesliders 17 to the bar 12a. The opposite end of the jack bears againstthe bridge 22, which is connected to the sliders 16, which are connectedto thebar 12 by a pin 20. Consequently, as the jack 15 is extended, thesliders 16 and 17 are separated, with the result that the bars 12 and12a are moved in opposite directions and the abutments 14 and 14a arepulled toward each other. This is the operation of the apparatus asshown in Fig. 1.

The operation of the apparatus as shown in Fig. 2 will next bedescribed; The slider 17 is omitted and the jack 15 is placed on or inslider 16 with the end 23 of jack 1S against'box 13a. This results, whenthe jack 15 is operated, in pushing the bar 12 against box 13 and box13a in the opposite direction, moving the abutment outwardly so as tospread the side frame members of the motor vehicle sideways. If the bars12 and 12a are placed lengthwise of the beams 1; between parts of themotor vehicle needing to be spread or drawn together, the apparatus willbe effective to produce the desired result.

If the wedges 3 are not forced in tightly, the U-shaped clip will not bedrawn down against the head 10, and the post 6 can therefore be turnedto any position desired. Since the post 6 is square, the box 9 can beturned in any direction, and the pushing and pulling can be in anydirection, as shown by the lines A-A and B-B in Fig. 8, which shows thatthe apparatus is universal.

If it is desired to use this apparatus on a motor vehicle having a widerframe than usual, an attachment 25 may be secured to a pair of ears 4,or, if the frame is unusually wide, the clips 2 may be turned so thatthe ears 4 are directed in the opposite direction and the attachment 25will extend in opposite directions. A post 26 extends through theattachment 25, and a post 27 provided with a wing 28 rises from the post26. The post 27, as shown in Fig. 6, is square for the attachment of thebox 9. The wing 28 is secured to the post 26 by a pin 29. Pins 30 areused to secure the attachment 25 to the ears 4.

It is of course understood that the specific description of structureset forth above may be departed from without departing from the spiritof this invention as disclosed in this specification and as defined bythe appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. An attachment for a frame straightening machine for acting upon amotor vehicle, said frame straightening machine 22 having a plurality ofbeams, clips for securing said attachment to the beams of said machine,said clips having circular holes, rectangular posts with circularenlargemen ts received in said holes and turnable to various positionsof adjustment when the clips are loosely held, boxes held by said posts,sliders secured to said boxes, a bar slidable through each of saidsliders, other boxes on the bars, secured to said bars, abutments insaid other boxes for acting upon parts of a motor vehicle, other sliderson said bars, bridges on said other sliders, one bridge being secured toone slider, another bridge being secured to the other slider, and a jackreacting between the bridges. 1

2. An attachment for a frame straightening machine for acting upon theframe of a motor vehicle, a clip for attachment to the frame of themachine to fasten said attachment thereto, said clip having a pair ofears, an attachment connected to said ears, a circular hole in a side ofthe clip at a right angle to the side carrying the cars, a post ofangular cross-section provided with a circular shoulder fitting withinthe circular hole, a box fitting around the post, a pair of bars,sliders fixed to the box and each slidable on one of the bars, and ajack reacting with the other bar in causing relative longitudinal motionof one of the bars, said ears having a bracket supported thereby, andthereby being capable of adding to the width of the frame straighteningmachine.

3. An attachment for a frame straightening machine for acting upon theframe of a motor vehicle, said machine having a frame, a clip forattachment to the frame of the machine to secure said attachment to saidframe, said clip having a pair of cars, a bracket receivable betweensaid ears and pinned thereto at the side of the frame of said machine,said bracket having a circular hole therethrough, a first post ofcircular cross-section secured in said bracket, a second post of angularcross-section having an ear receivable in the first post and adapted toreceive a box of angular form, and sliders secured to the second post,whereby the width of said machine may be increased to accommodate amotor vehicle of wider width.

4. An attachment for a frame straightening machine, for correcting theform of a motor vehicle, said machine having a frame, a clip forsecuring the attachment to the frame of the machine, a post having asquare body and a circular enlargement projecting through a circularhole in the clip, a circular enlargement below the first enlargementforming a shoulder which is engaged between the clip and frame, meansclamping the clip to the frame with said shoulder therebetween to holdthe post against turning, a box surrounding the square body of the postand fitting the same closely, other boxes secured to an end of each bar,an abutment in each of said last named boxes, sliders secured to thefirst named box, and bars slidable in said sliders to vary the distancebetween said other boxes.

5. An attachment for a frame straightening machine for acting upon theframe of a motor vehicle, comprising first and second bars arranged inside-by-side relation and closely spaced apart and each having an outerend remote from the outer end of the other, a first box secured to thefirst bar adjacent to the outer end thereof and carrying first abutmentmeans for engaging a vehicle frame, a second box secured to the secondbar adjacent to the outer end thereof and carrying second abutment meansfor engaging a vehicle frame in spaced relation to the first abutmentmeans, means interconnecting the bars for lengthwise sliding of one barrelative to the other and including a slider slidably engaging thesecond bar and pinned to the first bar, and means for moving the barsrelative to each other and including a jack acting against the secondbox and reacting against the slider whereby extension of the jack causesthe second box, second abutment means and second bar to move in onedirection and the slider and the first bar, together with the first boxand first abutment means to move in the opposite direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,326,953 Morano Jan. 6, 1920 1,993,387 Smith Mar. 5, 1935 2,013,785Merrill Sept. 10, 1935 2,422,030 Merrill June 10, 1947 2,547,757 Le RoyApr. 3, i950

